News

Brad Keselowski
No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger
Irwin Tools Night Race
Bristol Motor Speedway
August 27, 2011
TV: ABC at 7:30 PM   Radio: PRN/Sirius Channel 90 at 6:30 PM

No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger News and Notes
• This Week’s Charger… The No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger team will race chassis PRS-736 during Saturday’s Irwin Tools Night Race at Bristol Speedway (BMS). Keselowski last drove this chassis to a 23rd-place finish at Pocono Raceway in June.
• No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge in 2011... After 23 points-paying events, Keselowski and the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger team are ranked 12th in the NASCAR Cup Series (NSCS) driver and owner point standings. The team is coming off a third-place finish in the Pure Michigan 400 on Sunday at Michigan International Speedway. Keselowski now holds the No. 1 wild card position for the 2011 Chase for the Championship.
• Peaking at the Right Time…Keselowski’s 2.0 average finishing position over the last three races is tied with series leader Kyle Busch for the best average over that period in NSCS competition. Keselowski has garnered a win, a second-place finish and a third-place result, respectively, over that span.
• Head2Head Final Four… Keselowski is one of four drivers remaining in the DIRECTV Head2Head Knockout on ESPN.com, which continues this weekend at Bristol. This “March Madness” style bracket challenge raises money for each driver’s favorite charity. Keselowski is participating on behalf of the Paralyzed Veterans of America.
• Meet Brad… Keselowski will make an appearance at Wal-Mart located at 220 Century Road in Bristol, Tenn., on Thursday, August 25 at 4:00 pm ET.
• Racing Under the Lights… The featured tag line on the bumper of the “Blue Deuce” this weekend at Bristol will be “Racing Under the Lights.” This is a nod to the night race at BMS, which is considered one of the must-see sporting events in the country.
• The Rest is History... Penske Racing has enjoyed its share of success at BMS. In 81 combined starts, the organization has produced eight wins, 10 poles, 22 top-five and 39 top-10 finishes at the track. Rusty Wallace earned seven of those wins and became one of the most successful drivers in Bristol history during his time behind the wheel of the No. 2 Dodge for Penske Racing. In 2003, Ryan Newman set the track qualifying record with his blistering lap of 14.90 seconds in the Penske Racing No. 12 Dodge.

Brad Keselowski on racing at Bristol Motor Speedway
“Bristol is one of those tracks where you always have to be mindful of your pace, where you are on the track and who you are around. But you also have to be looking forward so that you can avoid that wreck that happens half of a straightaway in front of you. Short track racing and restrictor-plate racing are very similar in that you can get caught up in a wreck that you had nothing to do with. Bristol is a very aggressively-paced race. You have to stay tuned in to what’s going on the entire time if you want stay out of trouble. Penske Racing was able to win the 50th Daytona 500 and it would be great to pick up a win in the 50th anniversary year of Bristol.”

Brad Keselowski on his strategy for this weekend’s race at Bristol Motor Speedway
“It’s been a good couple weeks for us. We’ve got a lot of good things going, obviously leading the wild card standings, but we certainly don't  want take that for granted.  As quickly as we’ve risen, all that could go away if we don't keep performing.  Last week was a big week for us, getting up to 12th in the points, so we can make sure to take advantage of the two wins. I feel good about where we are, but we’ve still got a lot of racing left until the Chase starts. I really would just like to go out and win another race.  I think that's where our focus is.” 

Crew chief Paul Wolfe on Bristol Motor Speedway
“As a crew chief you look forward to going to Bristol because you don’t have to worry about aerodynamics or ‘dirty air.’ It’s all about finding mechanical grip and forward bite. If you can do that your driver can be successful. Track position will be important. Running up front should keep you out of trouble and in position for a good finish. Brad loves Bristol and his record reflects that. I’m confident we can go up there and contend for the win. I like where we are in the ‘wild card’ standings, but we’re not out of contention to get ourselves inside the top-10. That’s definitely a goal of ours, but we can’t be overly aggressive in trying to get there.”